Playtime
by brainandheart
Summary: In which Kya would rather do anything than practice waterbending.


**...Is Over.  
**

**Just some silly slice-of-life family fluff :)**

* * *

"C'mon, Kya, let's go! Eat faster!" Bumi shifted from one foot to the other in the doorway, tapping his hand against his leg in impatience. Shooting her little brother a glare, Kya shoveled the last few bites of rice into her mouth and threw down her chopsticks. She leaped up from the table and was halfway to the door when a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Not so fast, Kya!"

Grimacing, she slowly turned to face her mother, swallowing the huge mouthful of food as she did so. The older waterbender's face was stern, and though she didn't know if she'd even done anything wrong, Kya adopted the most innocent look she could.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" Katara set her hands on her hips, one eyebrow raised.

"Um…out?" She looked up at her mother hopefully.

"I don't think so. You've got training to do."

"But Mo-om—" she whined, hearing her brother snicker behind her.

"But nothing. You begged to get out of training yesterday, and promised that you would do it all today, remember?"

Kya's shoulders slumped. She did indeed remember. Desperate to get out of her lessons, she had begged to go into the city with her dad for the day, offering to practice twice as long as usual the next day. It had seemed like a fair trade at the time. "Why does Bumi get to have fun?" she muttered.

"Because your brother—surprising as it is—finished his chores and training on time."

This time Bumi laughed out loud. Kya spun to face him, a venomous retort on her lips, but her mother cut her off before she could speak.

"Bumi," Katara said firmly. "Go find something to do before _I_ find you something to do."

The wild-haired boy's eyes widened and he disappeared so quickly that Kya thought he might have been an airbender after all. Satisfied, Katara smiled at her eldest child. "Now, help me finish cleaning up here so we can get to your lesson."

"Yippee," Kya grumbled, following her mother back to the table and reluctantly accepting the pile of dishes that Katara pressed on her.

"Look at this table," Katara sighed. Kya looked. Admittedly, it looked a little like the aftermath of an explosion. Half a dinner roll sat forlornly on the far corner, there were a few shreds of seaweed hanging off the edge, grains of rice were scattered across the surface like confetti, and just off center was a small puddle of some unidentified liquid. But hey, it had simply been one of those busy days where manners seemed less important than eating as quickly as possible so that they could return to work (or play). However, Kya didn't think her mother would accept that as an excuse and kept silent as the older woman pulled a stream of water from a pitcher on the sideboard and began washing down the table. "You'd think I was raising a family of rabid platypus bears."

Having heard this lament many times in her young life, Kya knew there was no right response, so she just shrugged and pasted an apologetic smile on her face as she inched towards the kitchen. The last thing she heard before she slipped into the other room was her mother mutter "I swear, there will be no more eating dinner at Uncle Sokka's."

Kya smothered a laugh and dunked the dishes in the tub of soapy water. There was no way Katara would deprive her kids of their favorite (and only) uncle even if she was upset with her brother. Kya swirled the water with one hand, using waterbending to speed up the dishwashing process.

"Master Katara!" The sudden shout cut through the soft gurgle of flowing water.

"I'm in here," Kya heard her mother respond.

Curious, Kya peered through to the other room. One of the newer Air Acolytes entered the dining area, wringing his hands a little as he gave a shallow bow to the waterbending master. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm afraid Sonam strained his back again and we wondered if you had time for a healing session. If it's no trouble, that is," he added hurriedly.

Katara smiled kindly. "It's no trouble at all. Kya—" The girl straightened and moved fully into the room as her mother's eyes came to rest on her—"Go on down to the beach and get started on your waterbending forms. I'll be down in just a minute."

"Sure, Mom," Kya replied, waving to the Air Acolyte as she left. Once outside, she headed towards the beach, but found herself hesitating at the top of the path. She loved waterbending, she really did, but...there were just so many things she'd rather do than practice. However, she thought with glee, her mother had said a minute, which, knowing her mother, meant that Kya at least five or ten minutes to do something fun. And that was plenty of time.

She looked around, hoping to see her usual partner in crime, but apparently Bumi had listened to their mother all too well. Pouting slightly, she crossed her arms, waiting for inspiration to strike. Strike it did not three seconds later when she heard a group of Air Acolytes pass by, dragging their laundry to the large water-filled tubs set up in the courtyard for exactly that purpose. Wait—_water-filled tubs_. Kya couldn't see her face in that moment, but she was pretty sure she had the expression of an evil mastermind. Carefully, she followed the group, ducking down behind a nearby bush as they reached the tubs.

While they were distracted settling in, she lifted her arms and drew a small stream of water from the closest tub, making sure to keep it out of sight. Once it reached her she formed it into a sphere. Shearing away a raindrop-sized bit, she took careful aim and watched as it smacked into an acolyte's bald head. Quickly she dropped down even lower behind the bush, biting her lip to hold in the laughter and peering through the leaves at the man who was now sending a puzzled look at the cloudless sky. She nearly bit through her lip as she watched the man tap his neighbor and say something, gesturing at the sky, and it was even better when the woman just looked at him oddly. After a moment the man slumped and turned back to his laundry. Kya sat up a little and got ready to send another raindrop.

"What are you doing?"

Kya jumped and nearly dropped the stream of water. "Dad!"

The tall airbender crouched at her shoulder, having undoubtedly used what Toph would call his "Twinkletoes Powers" to sneak up on her. He stared down at his eldest child, one eyebrow raised and his face unreadable.

Kya scrambled for words. "I was just, uh…waterbending practice…"

"Oh, I saw what you did." She couldn't decipher his tone and she gulped, sure that she was about to get into trouble. Which is why it surprised her when he flopped down beside her, a broad grin stretching across his face. "Here, give me some of that—" with a simple movement he drew away some of the water from her sphere and looked at her expectantly—"On three?"

Aware that her mouth was hanging open, she shut it with a snap. Her dad wanted to prank the Air Acolytes? Well, she wasn't going to argue with that. With a disbelieving laugh, she raised her hands once more. Seconds after Aang's whispered "three" the poor acolyte was splashed again, this time from both sides. He looked around furiously, but father and daughter had already ducked out of sight, giggling as silently as possible. Somehow everything was twice as hilarious with someone to share it with.

Suddenly the water was torn from their control and whipped behind them. The pair froze mid-laugh. Kya cringed and Aang's eyes widened. "Uh-oh."

They turned at the same time, their expressions so similar that their shared blood had never been as obvious as in that moment. Katara towered over them, her hands on her hips, the water nowhere in sight.

"We were just…waterbending practice?" Aang suggested weakly.

"Oh, I'll get to you later, Mr. All-powerful Avatar." Katara's eyes narrowed dangerously, but Kya could have sworn that her mother sounded almost amused. However, the feeling faded when Katara turned to her daughter. "I thought I told you to get started on your waterbending forms."

"Well, see, I was going to—I was actually on my way when…I got distracted."

"That's the best you could do?"

Kya shrugged a little wearily.

"Mm-hmm, extra practice tomorrow."

"Mo-om!"

* * *

"She did technically practice—"

Her half-stern, half-exasperated glare was more than enough to shut him up.


End file.
